Sanitaire OSCAR™ Process Performance Optimizer

Automating and Optimizing the Wastewater Treatment Process

The Sanitaire OSCAR™ Process Performance Optimizer automatically detects and reports conditions in wastewater treatment tanks to improve the quality of treated sewage water and conserve energy at treatment plants. The OSCAR system employs a new generation of process controllers, automated reports, summary graphics, and an online maintenance interface to provide plant operators real-time information and tools for managing chemical and biological conditions in treatment tanks. In addition, the OSCAR system’s advanced and comprehensive reporting tools and controls can help plant operators adapt and respond to emerging wastewater treatment challenges, such as more stringent regulatory requirements, resource limitations, population growth and aging infrastructure.

The Technology

To safely discharge or reuse wastewater for new applications, it first must be treated to remove contaminants that could damage human health or the environment. The “activated sludge process” — which uses living microbes to digest the nutrients and contaminants in wastewater — requires plant operators to constantly monitor and adjust equipment and energy inputs to keep the microbes alive and the treatment process stable. Over the past 20 years, advances in technology have facilitated the development of reactive and predictive process controllers that detect tank conditions and help optimize the treatment process.

Specifically, the Sanitaire OSCAR solution uses feedback from online sensor instruments to detect key conditions in wastewater tanks, such as ammonia, nitrate and oxygen levels, and make real-time adjustments to the equipment that controls the amount of air and biomass in the tanks. This continuous adjustment process eliminates the need for operators to manually monitor and adjust the aeration, pumping and mixing rates at treatment facilities, thereby improving the quality of sewage treatment, increasing overall system efficiency and reducing the energy inputs required for wastewater processing.

The Benefits

• Increased efficiency: The OSCAR system can reduce energy consumption up to 30 percent through the use of smart instrumentation and controls and save plant operators three to five hours per week in administrative tasks through the system’s automated reporting feature.
• Improved environmental performance: The OSCAR solution reduces chemical consumption by up to 45 percent through the precise measurement of needed inputs — both reducing the operating cost and lessening the environmental impact of the treatment process.

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